


The Warrior's Heart

by AceTrainerAlicia



Series: The Adventures of Jaina: A Faith Renewed [3]
Category: Runescape (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Gen, OSRS Reference, questfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29391087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerAlicia/pseuds/AceTrainerAlicia
Summary: A simple task for the wise scholar would take her to the frozen north, where she would meet the unlikeliest of allies and discover more than just the mysteries of the Mahjarrat. Now she must unite two lovers, save a troll village, infiltrate a secret base, and claim a warrior's heart.
Relationships: My Arm/Snowflake
Series: The Adventures of Jaina: A Faith Renewed [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/371306
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

“Good morning, Ali!” the adventurer greeted as she stepped inside and out of the harsh desert sun. “How goes the research?”

“Well, if it isn’t just the intrepid adventurer I was hoping to see!” the aged scholar replied, offering her a warm smile. The many packed bookshelves that lined every wall of his humble abode quite literally spoke volumes about why he was known as Ali the Wise, but he was also quite oddly handsome with his thick graying beard, rugged face, and rich brown eyes. “Good morning to you too, Jaina. I’ve been doing some interesting research since we spoke last--”

“About the Mahjarrat, right?” Jaina chimed in eagerly. “Is it about the Red Witch? About Akthanakos the beastmaster and the Ugthanki camels? The stone tablets about the hero imprisoned in the pyramid, like the one brought to Dr. Balando at the museum?”

“Ah, slow down, be patient!” Ali gestured frantically as he spoke, and waited a moment quietly before he continued. “Hm, you have come far to see me and could use some rest... I suppose you can indulge your curiosities before we get to my proposal? Please, take a seat! I shall prepare some tea.”

Jaina set her travel bag down on the small table in the kitchen, her eyes already drawn to the bookshelves. A visit to Ali’s home was never complete without some time to read one of his many books, and it was always so difficult to choose which ones.

“I did not expect you to mention those tablets,” Ali said as he put the kettle on the stove. “But yes, I had already located the rest of the set before that unscrupulous treasure hunter came across the last! My translations of them are not yet complete, but you’ll be able to read them all yet.”

“I’d certainly like to know the rest of the story for sure!”

She approached the nearest bookshelf to survey its contents, curiously and carefully flipping through the old tomes. Many of them had titles in languages she couldn’t read, and most of the ones she could read seemed to be about ancient military history and famous battles--neither of which she was particularly interested in.

Finally on one of the bottom shelves she spied a thick book titled _Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love,_ which she carefully took and opened to the title page. There were several authors listed as having contributed to the book, and a subtitle that read “On courtship and romantic relations between the races of the Empire, and how to conduct them.”

“Wait!” Ali’s voice snapped her to attention before she could look over the table of contents. “I, ah, wouldn’t recommend reading that one if I were you!”

“Eh?” Jaina looked up from the book. “Why not? It looks interesting...”

The scholar’s face was tomato red as he set two steaming cups of tea down on the table. “Trust me, there is knowledge in those pages you are not yet ready for! You should enjoy your tea while it’s hot!”

Jaina nodded reluctantly and put the book back, taking another one with an ornate hardback purple cover in its stead before she went to sit down at the table. What could possibly get Ali so flustered like that? What did he mean, there was knowledge she wasn’t ready for?

She idly put a few sugar cubes in her tea and turned her attention to the new book. It was titled _Legio Duodecim: Nex’s Followers,_ and the gilding on its spine had yet to wear away from age. She wasn’t exactly sure what the book might be about, but she began to flip through the pages anyway.

The first thing to catch her eye was an illustration, its colors slightly faded with time; it was a drawing of a massive demon with a lithe female form and tiny fangs protruding from her mouth, her wings fully feathered and her body armored in steel plate. The unusual demon was flanked by three warriors in battle-ready poses; one in full spiky platemail armed with a two-handed greatsword, one a masked archer wielding an intricate bow adorned with purple crystals, and one a dark-robed mage with a twin-pronged masked hat who carried a sleek wand in one hand and a spell tome in the other.

Curiously Jaina read the text on the page next to the drawing: _“Of Zaros’ twelve legates, Nex was arguably the most powerful; her true strength, however, lay not in her unparalleled might, but in the priority she gave to thought and planning. This informed her choice of elite warriors; while other generals favored the brute force of demons and the undead, Nex chose humans. Though weak in body and short-lived, they were large in number, and had the ability to think quickly. As she lay in solitude, her mind often drifted to her most loyal human servants, the three warriors of legend...”_

The next few minutes were spent deeply lost in the book and occasionally sipping her tea, being careful not to spill it. She barely made note of the fact that it was Eastern spiced chai and not the usual Kharidian mint; she was too wrapped up in the tale of the steadfast warrior Torva, and then the taciturn archer Pernix. The illustrations as she went included drawings of them unmasked; Torva was fair-haired with a trim beard, light brown skin, and a wide scar across the bridge of his nose, while Pernix was dark-skinned and dark-eyed with short-cropped curls.

When she had reached the mage hero Virtus’ chapter, however, she stopped and stared at the drawing on the page in front of her. The man who seemed to gaze back at her from the page had shoulder-length black hair, skin as pale as snow, and gray eyes exactly the same shade as her own, and his face looked almost exactly like her father’s. He didn’t have a beard, but his eyes, nose, chin, the shape of his face, even his demeanor somehow--it was almost as though she was staring at a portrait of Father.

“How?... What...”

She was sure something like this couldn’t be mere coincidence, but what exactly did it mean? What was she supposed to make of this?

“Are you alright?” Ali asked. “Is something wrong?”

His voice startled Jaina, and she nearly jumped out of her seat. “I’m fine!” she said sheepishly. “It’s just… I was surprised, is all!”

“There are many things out there that are surprising,” the scholar remarked, “both in the pages of history and in the world around us. I see you are reading about a mighty general and the three legendary warriors who fought at her side--do the accounts of their feats surprise you?”

“I’m certainly impressed,” she said, sipping her tea. “In school we learned the tale of St. Elspeth and how she slew the ripper demon with her singing as part of our history lessons on the Third Age--and she died just to take down that single demon! But Torva was able to defeat an entire pack of them alone, with just a blade...”

Ali nodded. “It is impressive, is it not? Still, is that truly what took you aback? I am unsure you would find that disturbing or unsettling.”

Jaina frowned, hesitating as she looked from the scholar to the pages of the book and back again. “Well...” she finally spoke. “This could just be a very strange coincidence, but...”

She reluctantly showed him the illustration of Virtus. “It’s uncanny… He resembles my father so closely; all he’s missing is Father’s beard!”

“Hm?” Ali glanced from the portrait to Jaina, then back again once more. “I do indeed see quite the resemblance between Virtus and you, now that I look at it… Curious! Perhaps this might be worth some research on your part, if you believe there is more to this.”

“I certainly would like to know more about these three legendary heroes after I finish reading this book,” the adventurer said, nodding a bit shakily. “Speaking of research, though, what is it you were trying to tell me about?”

“Ah yes!” The scholar sat down at the table beside her. “Now, one of my other contacts has been doing some exploring--he has found an entrance to some tunnels, and they seem to head directly under the plateau where Jhallan said the Ritual would happen. They do not seem to be naturally occurring caves; someone has deliberately tunneled under there.”

She perked up eagerly. “Really? Did your contact get to explore much of them?”

Ali shook his head. “No, it appears there were a number of cave-ins, and he didn’t have the mining expertise to get through.”

“I’ll have to find a way to deal with those,” she said, pausing to drink some of her tea. “So where is the tunnel entrance located?”

“It’s at the top of a peak called Trollweiss Mountain,” Ali said, taking a sip of his own cup of tea. “You’ll have to pass through some ice troll tunnels to the northwest of Trollheim.”

“I know the place!” She smiled fondly and drank more of her tea. “I once went sledding up there, and good Guthix it was absolutely amazing!”

“Really?” Ali raised a bushy eyebrow. “It hadn’t struck me as a tourist area; a bit too troll-ridden for that sort of thing.”

“It isn’t,” said Jaina, laughing a bit. “I’m probably one of the only people who would have ever thought to go sledding there, actually!”

Ali stared at her quizzically, nursing his tea for a long and silent moment. “You’re an interesting one, that’s for sure,” he finally said. “The cave is right at the top, so you won’t need a sled this time. You should find some sort of assistance to help you with the cave-ins before you proceed!”

The adventurer nodded. “I’ve got it! But I’d like to finish this book before I head off.”

She was drawn right back into the story of Virtus upon going back to the book, reading eagerly about how he was magically gifted from a young age and siphoned magical energy from “the swamplands to the southeast,” presumably Lumbridge Swamp. If only she could have met him and learned from him!

~***~

“Sledding!” Strawberry cried as he pulled the sled behind Jaina in the snow. “Sledding!”

“Of course, Strawberry! Just gotta look around for the right spot to start from, then get you both ready!”

She had decided to make the most of searching for the tunnels by taking the little troll for a fun sledding trip up Trollweiss Mountain; this would be his first time trying it, as it would be for Snowflake the ice troll child, who had come along for the playdate. She wouldn’t be foolishly bringing either of them into the tunnels; she was just going to make a note of the entrance, then enjoy the sledding and come back by herself with some way to deal with any rockfalls or cave-ins.

“Wut’s sledding?” Snowflake asked, doing his best to keep up next to Jaina.

“Well...” She gestured to Strawberry and the sled. “You sit on the sled, hold on tight so you don’t fall off, and then ride down the mountain really fast! You have to be careful not to let the sled hit rocks or trees or anything else, but it’s amazingly fun!”

Strawberry began jumping up and down and squealing excitedly, nearly letting go of the sled. Snowflake paused to eye him and the sled apprehensively, scrunching up his face. “Not gonna fall off? Or get hurt?”

“I won’t let you fall off!” Jaina leaned down to give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Or get hurt! That’s a promise! Just hold on tight, and I’ll steer the sled!”

“Okay...” Snowflake nodded shakily. “Don’t let go...”

“Wet’s go, wet’s go!” Strawberry cheered. “Faster, faster!”

“We have to find the right spot first!” Jaina reminded him. “Come on, follow me!”

Both troll children did so, shuffling behind her as she came upon the peak of the mountain. As they passed by several Trollweiss flowers in bloom, she knelt to pick some, Strawberry picked and ate one, and Snowflake stuck one behind his ear. It was difficult not to stop and take in the wondrous view of the snowy lands below, but she couldn’t linger for long.

She circled around the summit area, but couldn’t see anything that looked like a tunnel or cave even after three times around. It took her about a minute before she finally spotted something, and there it was, nestled in a corner of the snowy peak. Success! Now all she had to do was find a way to deal with the cave-ins before her return.

“Yaaaaaay! Faster, faster!”

“Not yet! Stooooop!”

The adventurer whipped around towards the sound of the children’s voices, only to see to her horror that the sled was already on its way down the mountain--with both of them on board!

“Wait! Strawberry!”

She rushed after the sled, managing to jump on the back of it just in time--but there was no stopping it now; they were already racing down the mountain at blinding speed, and she could barely see in front of her. All she could do now was hunch protectively over the troll children and do her best to steer.

Wind and snow sharply whistled past her amid the white blur that was the mountainside; then suddenly she felt the sled lift off the ground and into the air, heard Strawberry’s excited screams of joy, felt Snowflake’s furry hand grab hold of her coat--then cold darkness as she felt herself plunged deep into a snowdrift.

~***~

Her head was still spinning as she came to, and she shook her head and rubbed her eyes, blinking several times. As her vision returned, she found herself in a crude but cozy hut, seated on a white wolfskin rug. There wasn’t much else in the hut besides a stone bed in one corner and a spit roast over a simple fireplace, and she could see Strawberry and Snowflake sitting next to her.

A large ice troll with a pointed goatee stepped forward towards her. “Hey, purple human,” he greeted, sounding slightly worried. “Me pull you out of snowbank before others find you! Humans not supposed to be here, so me hide you.”

“Why?” Jaina felt around for her bag, still a bit dazed. “Who are you? Where are we?”

“Me called Odd Stone,” said the troll, taking a seat across from her. “Got named after some odd stone thing over in the snowfields east of Weiss! And this here is Weiss--trolls built it years ago, after we got kicked out from caves full of dwarves further south!”

“Odd stone thing?” Strawberry asked. “What it like?”

“It were made of stone, and it were odd,” Odd Stone replied matter-of-factly. “Some weird scary bone-headed human saw me tryna nibble it, an’ he got really upset and chased me away. Said it was scareded or something? Now we trolls don’t go anywhere near the place!”

Jaina sat up straighter. “Bone-headed? As in, a skull for a head?” When Odd Stone nodded, she realized exactly what he must have tried to eat.

“That was no human,” she said quietly. “It must have been a Mahjarrat! And the odd stone must be involved in the Ritual they’re going to be having soon!”

“A man-jarrat?” Odd Stone frowned, shifting uneasily where he stood. “And the man-jarrat is gonna do some weird ritual thingy so close to Weiss? Maybe me should tell Lord Mother about it in case the man-jarrat comes here!”

“‘Lord’ Mother?” Hardly had the adventurer asked when she remembered that these were trolls she was dealing with here. “Oh… Right, troll names… I know how they work...”

At that moment two other ice trolls, one male and one female, suddenly entered the hut, and Strawberry leapt into Jaina’s lap to bury his face in her coat. Both of them looked vastly different from other ice trolls in both appearance and demeanor--the male had a wrinkled face, a full gray beard, a hunched back, and gentle grandfatherly eyes, and carried a simple walking stick carved of pine. The female was much younger, with deep maroon fur from the top of her head all the way down her back that contrasted with the white of the rest of her fur, and she carried herself with the poise and elegance of a noblewoman.

Odd Stone turned around frantically, trembling where he stood. “Lady Snowflake!” he exclaimed. “Me can explain! It were accident, me swears! Please don’t tell Lord Mother about the human!”

“Huh?” Snowflake asked, looking confused.

The female troll--Lady Snowflake, evidently--offered a warm smile. “You needn’t worry,” she said, her voice surprisingly gentle. “My father doesn’t need to know at all about this. We just heard the commotion and I wished to know what was going on!”

“Sledding!” Strawberry piped up, bounding out of Jaina’s lap. “We went weally fast an’ it was super fun!”

“Really scary too,” Snowflake--the child--added. “I holded on tight so no fall off, and the sled goed up real high and we went splat in snow!”

The elderly troll nodded thoughtfully. “So that was what everyone was shouting about! Insisting something came flying and screaming over the village fences, and whatnot… I say we all have a seat and get to know our guests, yes?”

“Indeed,” Lady Snowflake said, and bowed her head in greeting before taking a seat. “Welcome to Weiss, Miss Purple Human and little ones! I am Snowflake, Lord Mother’s daughter, and this is Odd Mushroom, our village’s great inventor! You have met Odd Stone already, of course. Who might you be then?”

“Hey, that my name too!” Snowflake the child shouted, at the same time Strawberry yelled “Hi, I Strawberry!”

Lady Snowflake laughed, a soft musical laugh. “I see… so my father was right about one thing.” Odd Mushroom opened his mouth to protest at that, but she continued. “I am indeed not as unique as I may think I seem!”

“What’s a strawberry?” Odd Stone asked, as Snowflake the child excitedly ran up to hug Lady Snowflake.

Strawberry began rooting through Jaina’s bag to fish a box out of it, and Jaina finally seized the opportunity to speak up. “I’m Jaina Katarn, and Strawberry has been my ward ever since his father’s death. Snowflake--the little Snowflake, I mean--is from the mountains to the south of here, and he and Strawberry are good friends!”

Odd Mushroom smiled, a wistful gleam in his eyes. “Ah, a beautiful and unlikely friendship between human and troll! It reminds me of my youth in the caves near Keldagrim, of the kindly dwarf child who showed no fear when she approached me… Of how she taught me how to read and write in secret… Of how I would watch the glow of their forges at a distance and dream of creating beautiful cozy fires of my own… I wonder if little Hilda yet lives? She would be grown now...”

Strawberry opened the box and showed its contents--a luscious pink cheesecake topped with a circle of halved strawberries--to the ice trolls. “Dis strawberry cheesecake! We all share it?”

The other trolls all eyed the cheesecake, clearly fascinated. “Sure, me try some,” Odd Stone said. “It a vegetable? Lord Mother not like eating those--he say they for sissies, but me bored with just meat, fur, an’ bones!”

“I should like to taste it myself,” Lady Snowflake agreed, “and perhaps learn how it is made! It looks like a work of art.”

“Cheesecakes aren’t too hard to make,” said Jaina, fetching a knife from one of the pockets of her bag to cut it with. “Getting the shortbread for the base might be difficult up here, but if you have goats or yaks, you can churn the milk into butter and cream cheese!”

“I see, so we must gather milk from the goats?” Odd Mushroom asked. “And what is churning? It sounds incredibly useful, though Lord Mother may not understand its use...”

The next few minutes consisted of Jaina and the trolls enjoying slices of the cheesecake as she did her best to explain how to work a dairy churn and milk cows and goats, and Strawberry interjecting about flowers and fruit and how delicious both were. Snowflake also happily told the other ice trolls about his parents and how much fun he had playing with Strawberry, since there weren’t any other children at home he could play with. The ice trolls largely kept to asking questions and listening, clearly intrigued by what their guests had to say throughout.

“As much as I want to learn more from you,” Lady Snowflake eventually said, “Odd Mushroom and I have been concerned lately--I hear strange noises at night when I sleep sometimes, and the air smells of death and decay when the wind blows north through Weiss. I cannot leave the village, but in the distance along the southern fence, I have seen a fortress that fills me with dread, and I know something terrible is happening there. Weiss is in grave danger, I am sure of it, but I wish I knew what that danger might be!”

“The fortress is not the only cause for worry,” Odd Mushroom added. “There are movements on the plateau to the east--shadowy figures skulking about at night, and I have seen strange undead pigs wandering around near Weiss--”

“Me remember one of those,” Odd Stone chimed in. “Don’t Know What caught one stuck in the fence the other day! He turned all green and got the sicks after eating it.”

Lady Snowflake grimaced, Strawberry laughed and burped, and Odd Mushroom continued. “I have been working on creating fires to ward away the undead, but whatever is beyond Weiss, I sense is much greater than mere undead, and I am unsure we are equipped to stave it off at all! Might you know anything about any of this?”

Jaina nodded gravely. “The Mahjarrat ritual...”

“A ritual? Man-jarrat?” Lady Snowflake frowned worriedly. “Please, you must tell me all that you know!”

Jaina nodded. “You definitely need to know, that’s for sure! So the Mahjarrat are ancient and powerful sorcerers that stand eight feet tall, with skeletal faces and gems in their foreheads--”

“That’s what chased me away from the odd stone thing,” Odd Stone added. “Boney head, little green shiny rock in boney head--a man-jarrat!”

“I knew whatever chased away Odd Stone must be abnormally powerful and dangerous,” Odd Mushroom remarked. “What happens in the ritual then?”

“Every five hundred years the Mahjarrat all gather on the plateau east of here,” Jaina continued. “They engage in all-out battle, and the loser is sacrificed on the ritual stone so that the others may live on. Their sheer power and magical prowess is far beyond what human masters of magic are capable of--even eight of the world’s greatest heroes couldn’t defeat Lucien! He… he just cut them all down like they were nothing...” She hesitated, her voice shaking slightly as she tried not to cry, and hugged Strawberry. “One of them was a man I might have married, if I hadn’t already been engaged…” She gritted her teeth. “But I swear Lucien will be made to pay! I’ll find a way, somehow!”

“You are being forced to wed against your will too?” Lady Snowflake asked, looking surprised. “You have my greatest apologies--”

“Oh no, I wasn’t forced,” the adventurer explained. “My fiance may not be much to look at, and he’s terrible at singing and poetry, but I do love him, and he puts so much heart and joy into his songs and I’ve come to find it charming! I loved Cyrisus too, but it just couldn’t be because Brand and I were engaged before we met.”

Lady Snowflake nodded. “I see… I envy you, having met two good men! The man-trolls here are… well, I cannot imagine myself happy with any of them! My father only cares about brute strength, and insists I must marry Don’t Know What because he is the strongest troll in Weiss besides my father.” She sighed deeply and hung her head. “Don’t Know What is dull and foolish! All he cares about is eating, hunting, and fighting, and it is impossible to carry on a conversation with him--but my father will not see reason no matter how hard I try!”

“Maybe I ask my mommy and daddy if they know nice man-trolls at home?” suggested Snowflake, licking cheesecake residue off his fingers. “I bet one of dem is strong an’ nice!”

“Let us discuss that later, dear.” Odd Mushroom patted Lady Snowflake on the shoulder to reassure her. “Lord Mother’s stubbornness is an issue in regards to this man-jarrat ritual as well!”

Snowflake tilted his head. “Why not just tell him bout it?”

“Because Lord Mother is the mightiest warrior in all Weiss, and is always seeking the thrill of battle.” Odd Mushroom shook his head disapprovingly. “He believes himself invincible thanks to my Fire of Domination that shields and strengthens him. He would gather most of the village to march upon the fortress and fight the man-jarrat, and it is unlikely he would listen to any attempts to persuade him otherwise!”

Jaina was already shaking her head. “That would be suicide! Especially if you were to face Lucien or Zemouregal--I saw many undead trolls around Lucien’s camp! They would just reanimate any fallen trolls as undead and turn them against the living.”

Odd Mushroom nodded. “Indeed, and I do not think the power of the Fire of Domination will reach too far beyond Weiss. Even if I set up braziers further out, if this Lucien man-jarrat could so easily annihilate eight of the strongest human heroes… I am unsure the fire would be enough to withstand his might!”

“How we get Lord Mother to listen?” Odd Stone asked, shifting nervously where he sat. “Me don’t wanna die all pointless-like, but he the big boss and we gotta do as he says!”

Before Jaina could ponder the question, the sound of loud shouts from outside filled the air, as well as the thudding of rocks being thrown. Snowflake suddenly jumped up, his eyes wide, and rushed outside the hut. “Mommy! Daddy!” he shouted on his way out.

“Wait for me!” Strawberry yelled, running after him, and the three ice trolls frantically hurried after the both of them, all shouting “Wait!” as well. Jaina scrambled to her feet, steeling herself for battle, and followed them all with staff in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Another quest adaptation, and this time it's crossed with a quest from OSRS? I know, it's a weird idea, but I hope it's still a fun read! I have Alliedforce35 to thank for introducing me to some of the interesting parts of OSRS, even though I don't personally play it, and I liked Making Friends with My Arm enough that I decided to borrow stuff from it to work into this story. (And it gives me an excuse to develop Strawberry's character more!)
> 
> The _Ars Amatoria_ book is explicitly modeled after the real _Ars Amatoria_ by Ovid; I leave it to the readers' imagination what might be written in it--and why Wahisietel didn't want Jaina to read it!
> 
> I actually didn't know there was a character named Snowflake in Making Friends with My Arm when I first began rewriting the series (and gave the Ice Path troll family names), so I've been referring to her as Lady Snowflake to try to avoid confusion with Snowflake the troll child from the Ice Path. (That, and it was an opportunity for a joke about the name and the coincidence!)
> 
> For the purposes of the story, Weiss would be situated southwest of Ghorrock, northeast of the peak of Trollweiss Mountain, and north of Zemouregal's fort, rather than due west of Ghorrock as it's presented in OSRS.
> 
> Part of me considered having Cyrisus be Jaina's first husband instead of Brand, but ultimately I decided to keep Throne of Miscellania canon for her, for reasons that will become clear as the series goes on.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to give a big shoutout to Mod Ash for reading and enjoying this little story! I really do appreciate the vote of confidence <3 And here's another big shoutout to Alliedforce35 for sharing my silly little story!

Marise couldn’t sleep.

She had gotten up many times throughout the night, being careful not to disturb her husband. Twice it had been to rock and feed the baby when she woke up crying, once it had been to step outside for a breath of fresh air, and she had lost count of how many times she had simply stood up to stretch her legs and walk around the tent.

Yet no matter how many times she settled back down on the straw pallet, no matter how drowsy she felt, no matter how many times she closed her eyes, the whispers began again.

_Ha… Ra..._

It was a faint whisper, an unintelligible low hiss of a sound, yet it echoed like screams in Marise’s head.

_Ak… Eye…_

Where was it even coming from? Neither Laheeb nor their daughter seemed to notice it in their slumber, and Marise hadn’t heard it at all outside the tent. It was as though the faint whisper was calling out to her for some reason… but why?

_Kai... Ha..._

Her eyes kept drifting to the secure chest Laheeb kept concealed behind the water barrel. She hadn’t been able to locate the source of the sound so far, and it couldn’t possibly be coming from the chest; there was nothing there but that Menaphite ring they were saving for emergencies… Why did she feel inexplicably drawn towards it?

Marise felt as though she were watching herself from afar as she rose from the pallet and reached underneath the straw pillow for the three special chest keys. As if in a trance, she went to kneel beside the chest and carefully began the secret method of unlocking it. Bottom key first, then top, then center…

_Eye… Ra… Akh…_

The Menaphite ring somehow seemed to stare back at her from where it lay inside the chest, its great emerald eye gleaming in the darkness of the night. Her hands were trembling as she picked it up, and as she did, she heard the whispering voice crisply and clearly in her mind: _Akhaira… Akhaira…_

Marise had no idea what the whispers meant, but they seemed to be coming from the ring! How could it possibly be trying to speak to her? Why would it? Had the Kharidian bard’s claims of a curse been true?

She slid the ring onto her finger, and the moment her fingers brushed the emerald, a voice at once filled her mind--the voice of an elderly woman, frantic and panicked: _“So he stands before us... The sun god himself, Tumeken… Never have I beheld such blinding radiance in all my thousands of years! We could not have anticipated he would take the field himself.”_

Marise could only listen, transfixed, to the old woman’s voice in her mind, unable to tear her gaze away from that great emerald eye within the ring.

_“He has ordered the forces of the Kharid to join him in the ultimate sacrifice,”_ the voice continued. _“They are gathering around him, and we must brace ourselves for their next strike--What? This light! It blinds me, it burns… No… I cannot… The pain...”_ Her cries were steadily growing more anguished. _“Is this… Is this the end? Sliske, Wahisietel, my boys… I beg you, live on! Make… your mother… proud...”_

The voice ended in an agonized scream, and Marise let out a bloodcurdling scream of her own as she clutched at her robes. Next thing she knew, Laheeb had rushed to her side and the baby had woken up crying.

“Dear! What has happened to you?” her husband exclaimed, looking over her worriedly.

Marise had to catch her breath. “The--the r-ring from Me-Menaphos,” she stammered, holding out her hand with the ring on it for him to look at. “It… it sp-spoke to me! It somehow called out to me, and… and...”

“Shh, have no fear…” Laheeb ran a hand soothingly through her hair, and when she had relaxed slightly, he carefully took the ring to examine it himself. His eyes grew wide the moment he slid it on, and Marise knew the voice must be in his mind now too.

“I… This… What in the...” His eyes were still wide as saucers as he removed the ring from his hand. “So this is why the Kharidian thief thought it cursed! I still don’t believe that, but there’s definitely some strange magic within this ring.” He stood up, pocketing the ring safely. “We’d better take it to Eblis immediately! He’s the only one in the village who would have any clue what to do with it.”

Marise nodded and stood up to fetch their daughter from the crate that served as her makeshift bed, bouncing her gently. “Yes, let us consult Eblis at once! I’m sorry, little one; I didn’t mean to wake you...”

The baby stopped crying and rested her head comfortably on Marise’s shoulder as the couple stepped out of their tent into the cool desert night. Eblis, hopefully, would know something about the ring’s magic and how to help the voice within…

~***~

In the center of the village of Weiss, the adventurer spotted several ice trolls shouting and throwing rocks as they clustered in a circle; she had to duck to avoid one that sailed past her head. Standing back up again, she could see three other trolls they were trying to surround; two of them she recognized as Snowflake’s parents, Icicle and Wolf Paw, who looked absolutely furious. The third was a mountain troll wearing a very familiar farmer’s straw hat, just standing there and staring in confusion--wait, what was he doing here of all places?

“You give Snowflake back now!” Icicle shouted, picking up a rock and throwing it at one of the trolls of Weiss.

“Snowflake mine!” retorted a large shaggy troll with tan streaks of fur on his forearms and down his back, swinging at her with a large fist. “Lord Mother say so, and he big boss so whatever he say goes!”

Wolf Paw roared and lunged forward to punch him in the face, and both of them became tangled up in a full-out brawl as the other trolls of Weiss kept up their rock throwing. Jaina knew she had to intervene and break up the fighting, but the trolls would likely turn on her instead if she just rushed in…

“Stop this right now! What are you doing?”

The trolls of Weiss immediately stopped throwing rocks and turned towards the approaching Lady Snowflake, and a silence settled over the village. Icicle and Wolf Paw looked at her in confusion, and the troll in the farmer’s hat was gazing at her, transfixed.

The shaggy troll with the tan streaks of fur spoke first, still pinned underneath Wolf Paw. “Trolls from south mountain come to take you away! We scaring them off!”

“What you talking about?” Wolf Paw demanded. “You give back our son!”

Lady Snowflake sighed deeply. “I see how it is,” she said, shaking her head. “So this is all just a misunderstanding, then? Your son has been safe and sound this whole--” She paused, noticing the gaze of the mountain troll. “Hm? A guest? You must be from Trollheim then!”

The younger Snowflake chose that moment to come bounding past her through the snow. “Mommy! Daddy!”

“Snowflake!” Icicle swiftly scooped him up and hugged him. “You safe! We were so worried!”

“Went sledding wiv Strawberry an’ nice purple human lady!” Snowflake cheered. “It was kind of scary but also fun! We met other Snowflake an’ had strawberry cheesecake!”

“Huh?” the tan-streaked troll asked as Wolf Paw got up and let him go free. “Other Snowflake?”

“Yes, Don’t Know What, it is in fact possible that two different ice trolls’ first thing eaten might be a snowflake,” Lady Snowflake said exasperatedly. “That was where the misunderstanding occurred--”

“Human?” another troll interrupted, looking all around. “Where?”

The familiar mountain troll snapped out of his trance and finally spoke, noticing Jaina and waving to her. “Hello, purple Jaina human! You here to teach stuff too?”

“What are you doing here, My Arm?” questioned the adventurer, staring at him for a moment--and then she felt the gazes of all the trolls of Weiss lock onto her all at once.

“Burntmeat say chief here interested in trading with the Stronghold,” My Arm replied, seemingly oblivious to the ice trolls’ sudden interest in Jaina. “So My Arm get sent here to set up trade! My Arm teach stuff to trolls here, and troll from Weiss come to Stronghold and teach stuff to trolls there in return! Icicle and Wolf Paw help My Arm get over snowy mountains!”

Jaina didn’t reply; she held her staff at the ready and quietly murmured, “Great Guthix, shield me from projectiles from afar,” as quickly as she could. As the prayer left her lips, it felt as though the very anima itself flowed upwards from the earth, wrapping around her protectively. She hoped it wouldn’t have to come to killing, but she must defend herself if the trolls were to attack.

“Look, a human!” one of them shouted. “Knock her out!” yelled another. “How human get in here?” demanded a third. They kept shouting despite Lady Snowflake’s frantic protests to calm down, several of them scrambling to grab rocks to throw.

“Stooooooop!” Strawberry waddled over to Jaina and stood in front of her with his stubby arms spread out. “No hurt!”

“Hold up!” one of the trolls shouted before any of them could start throwing. “A troll baby!”

They all stared once more, this time at Strawberry, who was protectively hugging Jaina’s leg. “She friend!” he cried. “I no wet her get urt!”

Don’t Know What stared silently at Strawberry and Jaina for a long moment, scratching his head. After a long and awkward silence, he nodded and beckoned to them. “Come,” he growled quietly. “Take human with you. I bring you to Lord Mother!”

He grunted at My Arm and beckoned to him as well. “You. Arm troll. Follow! Lord Mother expecting you!”

Jaina drew in a deep breath and reluctantly followed Don’t Know What with Strawberry in tow. My Arm shuffled awkwardly along behind her, his gaze never leaving Lady Snowflake. The adventurer noticed as she walked by that Lady Snowflake was studying him curiously too; she could hardly blame her, she supposed--he was quite the interesting troll.

~***~

Lord Mother turned out to be a massive hulking brute of a troll, sporting oversized canines, a thick collar of dark gray fur around his neck and chest, a bushy beard and brows of the same dark gray, and thick bulging muscular arms and shoulders. He was seated on a crudely carved stone throne, with a crackling bonfire to his right and a large water barrel to his left. Scattered around the foot of his throne were piles of wolf bones and skulls, a few bits and tufts of fur among them. Whether it was wolf fur or his own shed fur, the adventurer couldn’t tell.

As Don’t Know What led her towards the throne, Jaina noticed that Odd Mushroom was standing beside the bonfire. The elderly troll shot her an apologetic look, his grandfatherly eyes filled with worry.

“Welcome to Weiss, mountain troll child,” Lord Mother said, nodding towards Strawberry. “I am Mother, chief of tribe. Humans not welcome here, but now Mother knows human is your servant, we let it come and go freely. You very strong child, getting human servant as bodyguard when you not have parents to teach you!”

He grinned at Don’t Know What. “Someday, when Snowflake marry Don’t Know What, she bear strong child too!”

Jaina stifled a laugh, figuring she should just roll with Lord Mother’s assumption, just as Strawberry shrank behind her leg and gripped it tightly.

“Why you called Mother?” he asked shakily. “Did you weally eat you mama?”

Lord Mother let out a bellowing guffaw, snorting as he did. “Hah! Not exactly! It short for Mother’s Left One!”

My Arm coughed loudly from behind the adventurer, and Don’t Know What silently gestured for him to approach the throne. He shuffled forward and gave a sheepish grin.

“Welcome, arm troll,” Lord Mother greeted. “Mother sorry about your trouble getting in here, though Mother not know why you keep talking about your arm. Don’t Know What thought other trolls from south mountain here to kidnap Mother’s daughter!”

“Dat beautiful lady-troll your daughter?” My Arm laughed apprehensively. “My Arm never seen anyone like her! My Arm, uh, can’t find the words to describe her...”

Don’t Know What growled at him, and Lord Mother picked up the entire water barrel with ease to take a drink from it before putting it back down. “Arm troll shouldn’t get hopes up! She is to marry Don’t Know What, then he become boss when I retire.” He belched loudly, then kept on talking before My Arm could protest. “Don’t Know What like son to me. He most loyal sentry, more than worthy to have Snowflake!”

Odd Mushroom cleared his throat. “Lord Mother, we must focus on why you summoned My Arm here to begin with! We must discuss business and what will be exchanged between Weiss and the Troll Stronghold.” He nodded to My Arm. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, My Arm! I am Odd Mushroom, the village inventor, and I look forward to working with you!”

Lord Mother nodded. “He is big clever-clogs, and talk funny! But Mother puts up with it, because he invents stuff for Mother. So, arm troll, you come from Stronghold to share what you know, so what you got?”

“Well,” My Arm said, “My Arm know about farming! My Arm grow lots of goutweed for Stronghold trolls. It taste so good! Everything taste better with goutweed!”

“Farming?” Lord Mother’s eyes narrowed sharply. “That a stupid skill for a man-troll! Proper man-troll use his muscles. And Mother is not interested in eating stupid vegetables! Mother likes wolf flesh, freshly killed, with blood running down jaw!” He picked up a wolf skull from the pile of bones around his throne and gazed at it sentimentally. “Mother gets real warm fuzzy feeling inside, eating furry wolf.”

“My Arm not just grow goutweed,” My Arm protested, shaking a bit where he stood. “My Arm also help get lots of animals to raise for meat and milk! My Arm’s assistant Milkshake bring lots of cows to Stronghold for special milk and beef, and we get milk and meat from goats too! We use muscles to work churny thing and turn milk into cheese and butter!”

“I, for one, think this is a splendid idea,” Odd Mushroom chimed in. “We will have an abundance of foodstuffs, including many more different types of meat, so that we do not over-hunt the wolves and rabbits in the area, and Miss Jaina there tells me that milk makes your bones hard as stone!”

“Shut up!” Lord Mother roared. “Mother was not asking you, clever-clogs!” He shook his head at My Arm. “Keeping creature around for milk is dumb--we supposed to wait to eat it when we can just eat it now? Thrill of hunt is important! It keep trolls strong and prepare you for thrill of battle! Are Stronghold trolls really getting so weak now?”

My Arm stared at his feet, stammering incoherently. “Uh… Um… My Arm dunno what else to tell you… But My Arm really not wanna leave...”

“Gah! Arm troll is useless!” Lord Mother turned his gaze to Strawberry and Jaina once again. “You! Strong child and human servant! Why you come to Weiss? Reason better be good!”

Strawberry had buried his face in Jaina’s leg, and she drew in a deep breath before she spoke up. “It was an accident; I was trying to investigate the plateau to the east to learn more about the upcoming Ritual!”

Lord Mother’s expression softened a little, and he gazed at her, clearly intrigued. “There’s gonna be a ritual near Weiss? Tell me more!”

“Father!” Lady Snowflake hurried towards the throne to stand beside Odd Mushroom. “You must listen to the purple human and take her seriously! This ritual she speaks of will put Weiss in grave danger!”

“Shut up, Snowflake,” Lord Mother snapped brusquely. “Human saying important stuff!”

Lady Snowflake hung her head and sighed defeatedly, and My Arm’s gaze had once more been drawn to her. Jaina frowned at the sight and picked up Strawberry to comfort him before she turned her gaze to Lord Mother again.

“Well,” she started, “Odd Stone told us how he encountered a Mahjarrat as a child...”

She proceeded to explain what the Mahjarrat were and what the Ritual was going to entail, making sure to describe Lucien’s sheer might and the undead trolls at his camp, Zemouregal’s skills as a necromancer and his history with Arrav and trying to conquer Misthalin, and the horrors Enakhra the Red Witch had performed in her temple. Lord Mother, fortunately, did not interrupt; he was listening with very keen interest.

“I’m not sure what that fortress south of Weiss is exactly,” she finally said, “but I’m sure it must belong to a Mahjarrat, and apparently the smell of death is coming from it regularly? No doubt there’s some kind of army of the undead being raised in there to aid the fort’s master at the Ritual!”

Lord Mother stroked his beard, as if pondering her words, and his mouth twisted into a crooked grin. “This most exciting thing Mother has ever heard!” he exclaimed. “Mother hasn’t had real challenge since Odd Mushroom made special fire! So Mother must have old clever-clogs make more fires so he get strong enough to fight a man-jarrat… But while Mother prepares for that, someone should go into the fortress! Then Mother can make plan of attack, and trolls can get stronger if they fight dead stuff!”

His eyes locked onto My Arm once more. “Maybe Mother will humor arm troll, let him prove himself a proper warrior! Alright, arm troll, I give you one more chance! You go into the man-jarrat fortress! You kill zombie, you take trophy from it, you bring back trophy to prove you killed it!”

“Huh?” My Arm stared back at him, clearly shocked. “But--”

“No buts!” Lord Mother roared. “Do it or get out of here!”

“Of course, Lord Mother,” Odd Mushroom hastily said, and beckoned. “Come, Snowflake, My Arm, Miss Jaina! Let us go and prepare to raid the fortress!”

Lady Snowflake grabbed My Arm’s hand to lead him after Odd Mushroom, and the farmer troll blushed deeply and stuck close to her. Jaina patted Strawberry’s back soothingly as she followed; she was glad for the excuse to leave Lord Mother’s presence.

~***~

Odd Mushroom led the group back to Odd Stone’s hut, where the troll in question was preparing to spit-roast a big goat leg over his fireplace. My Arm perked up at the sight and hurried over to Odd Stone’s side. “Wanna try some goutweed?” he asked. “It really do make everything taste better!”

Odd Stone paused, spit with goat leg in hand. “You have gouty vegetable thing? Me tried cheesecake earlier and liked it, so me try dis too!”

My Arm smiled and produced a couple of fresh goutweed herbs from his backpack, then proceeded to grind them with a crude mortar and pestle into a paste. The ice trolls watched curiously as he rubbed the greenish-gray paste all over the goat leg evenly.

“Dere,” he said proudly. “Now you hafta cook da meat and taste da difference!”

“Can we try dat wiv fruit?” Strawberry asked as Odd Stone set up the spit roast over the fireplace. “We cook stuff covered in strawberry jam!”

“It is true; jam does often make for a good sauce,” said Jaina, glad to see Strawberry back to his usual cheerful self. She had never seen him so afraid before as he’d been in the presence of Lord Mother…

“So is it true that you have churns at the Stronghold?” Lady Snowflake asked excitedly. “Do you cook cheesecakes with the cheese and butter you make?”

“Uh, My Arm has never tried cheesecake,” My Arm replied, his face flushing a bit. “Trolls don’t know how to make bread like humans can, and cake like bread… Maybe we try mixing ground-up goutweed and butter to make bread?” He grinned nervously. “So you Snowflake, right? Dat a pretty name for a pretty troll. My Arm very pleased to see you!”

“Your arm is pleased to see me?” Lady Snowflake asked, tilting her head slightly.

“My Arm get that a lot...” My Arm’s cheeks flushed even darker. “My Arm got named My Arm by my dad, after My Arm tried to nibble his arm… Uh, sorry, My Arm not want to bore you...”

“You are not boring!” Lady Snowflake assured him. “I like the way you talk! I am also keen to learn more from you--so where exactly do you and your assistant get all those animals you spoke of?”

My Arm perked up once more. “It called Manor Farm! It great big farm owned by nice old human grandma, where many farmers from all over go to trade! My Arm goes there to trade for crops and seeds and animals, and Milkshake goes there to buy cows for Stronghold. My Arm would love to show it to Snowflake!”

“I work there sometimes as a farmhand,” Jaina chimed in. “The owner graciously allows you to collect some of the produce in exchange for regularly tending the crops or taking care of the animals. It’s not just milk and eggs either--you can get wool, spider silk, useful ingredients for potion making...”

“It does sound wonderful!” Lady Snowflake smiled brightly. “Oh, I would love to go and see it!”

“Pardon the interruption,” Odd Mushroom said, “but we do need to concoct a plan for getting into the man-jarrat fortress! Recovering a suitable trophy to appease Lord Mother should be the easy part; Miss Jaina, you seem like you can handle yourself in a fight!”

“Purple Jaina human very strong, yes,” said My Arm, nodding. “She help My Arm protect goutweed patch from big scary bird! She do strong magic spells!”

“I get it now,” said Jaina, nodding in agreement. “My Arm will follow me at a safe distance and pull a limb off one of the zombies I kill!”

“Then my father will believe he killed it,” Lady Snowflake concluded. “I do not believe my father will realize that you did all the fighting; he thinks of humans as squishy and weak compared to trolls, even if he does believe you are Strawberry’s bodyguard.”

“And that is the easy part covered,” Odd Mushroom said. “Now, the question is how to actually get into the fortress! Approaching the front doors would simply alert the man-jarrat to your presence, and leaving via Weiss would give him reason to focus on the village...”

“Actually, there might be a way to get in discreetly,” Jaina pointed out. “There’s a tunnel entrance on the peak of Trollweiss Mountain! It seems someone tried to carve a tunnel under the Ritual plateau; wherever it leads should bring us close to the fortress, and then we can look for a secret passage or a back door! But I’ll need a way to clear the rockfalls and cave-ins that block the way through the tunnel.”

“Me can help with that,” Odd Stone said. “Me strong enough to smash boulders. Me clear path through tunnel and make sure arm troll doesn’t get hurt!”

He checked on the now-roasted goat leg and tentatively bit a chunk from it, chewing thoughtfully. Then he smiled broadly. “Wow! Gouty weed stuff really does make goat taste better! Everybody, you hafta try dis!”

“I guess we have a plan then?” Jaina asked, as the trolls passed the goat leg around to sample it. “Icicle and Wolf Paw can watch Strawberry and the little Snowflake while we’re gone.”

“Okay...” Strawberry snuggled close to Jaina. “Don’t wanna hafta see big scary mean troll again though...”

“Don’t worry!” Lady Snowflake patted him on the head. “You won’t have to go near my father at all while Miss Jaina is away. I can help watch you too while you and your friend are playing!”

Strawberry nodded and smiled a bit. “Tankoo wots! Jaina, no get urt, okay?”

The adventurer smiled at the little troll. “I won’t get a scratch!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit tricky to write since it ended up being pretty dialogue-heavy, and I was a bit worried about there being too much talking going on!
> 
> So the infamous chest from DT makes its appearance here, two entries after the events of DT! And the ring first seen in that particular story returns too... Credit where it's due to Laetitia-Laetitii for coming up with Sliske and Wahisietel's mother's name.
> 
> I know Don't Know What doesn't talk in OSRS, but I did kind of need him to briefly speak a couple lines here. I do hope I'm managing to capture a similar brand of humor to how things were in the quest! I'm also hoping to flesh out My Arm and Lady Snowflake's romance a bit more.
> 
> Of course I had to work in mentions of the Manor Farm! I don't think Jaina really owns the place per se; logistically speaking, running a whole farm would be a bit much for a seventeen-year-old adventurer with so much else on her plate. Never let it be said, though, that Granny Potterington isn't a generous woman!
> 
> And now the two quests fully come together! What will be the same? What will be different? Why is Strawberry so terrified of Lord Mother?
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: This chapter contains discussion of child abuse and childhood trauma. Reader discretion is advised!**

Strawberry was seated on Lady Snowflake’s shoulders as she crept into her father’s hut and made her way down into the salt-rich caves below Weiss. The other trolls hadn’t suspected a thing when Odd Mushroom had shown Icicle and Wolf Paw the way down there; as far as they knew, the couple and their son were simply willing to help Odd Mushroom gather the salts. She, however, must be sure her father did not notice her venturing down there; it had always been better when he paid her no heed than when he did.

She was certainly envious of the child who shared her name, having a father who cared enough to fight to protect him and a mother that was there for him and hadn’t died giving birth to him. She also had to wonder where Strawberry’s parents were and if they were like Icicle and Wolf Paw too, being willing to trust their son in the care of a human--or was her father right in believing he was an orphan?

The warmth of his little stubby arms and legs about her neck made Lady Snowflake ponder what it might be like to have a child of her own. The thought of it being Don’t Know What’s made her shudder; he would be no better a father than her own father, and would likely pay little heed to any children she might bear. To her surprise, the more she imagined a future child, she found herself easily picturing My Arm carrying a baby on his shoulders, laughing and playing with it, helping teach it to walk, going with her to take it for a naming meal…

My Arm… They had only just met, yet she couldn’t get him out of her mind. He was different from other man-trolls--kind, funny, clever, innovative, someone she could laugh and talk with and enjoy herself around with ease. It wasn’t just that his knowledge and skills would be good for Weiss as a whole; she too was keen to learn how to grow goutweed, tend and milk the goats, work a churn, visit the grand farm he had spoken of... It felt almost as if she had known him all her life, as if she had been just half a troll all this time and he was her missing other half.

Her father must have been trying to get rid of him and hoping he would be killed, she thought as Odd Mushroom waved her over to join him and the southern troll family. Silently she wished with all her heart that he would return from the man-jarrat fortress alive.

“We can speak more freely down here,” the elderly troll spoke up. “Lord Mother never comes down here! We can’t just sit and twiddle our thumbs while we wait for My Arm and Miss Jaina to come back. I think you two youngsters could stand to learn about the special fires I have invented!”

“Special fires?” the younger Snowflake asked, looking up from trying to lick one of the salt formations. “How they special?”

“Seems odd for ice troll to like making fire,” Wolf Paw noted, raising a furry brow. “We always been afraid of fire--it hurt much more than other stuff!”

“The answer is right in front of you!” Odd Mushroom gestured to the salt formations. “These fascinating salts produce incredible magical effects when burned in the right proportions! Ever since we settled Weiss I have been trying out different mixes of the salts to see what they’ll do. Yes, I know it’s odd, but ever since my youth in the caves near the dwarf town of Keldagrim, I have simply been fascinated by fire! The comforting glow was always so inviting, drawing me towards it like a moth, and the warmth the flames provide is strangely soothing… I am, of course, careful not to singe my fur when I experiment!”

Icicle blinked and picked up the younger Snowflake. “You have very fitting name,” she remarked. “You definitely oddest troll I ever met!”

“You try potion to protect from fire?” Strawberry asked, sliding down to join the younger Snowflake. “Jaina makes dat! It stop dwagons from burning stuff!”

“What a wonderful idea, Strawberry!” Odd Mushroom patted him on the head. “If My Arm can grow goutweed, perhaps we can grow other things that can be made into potions? My Fire of Nourishment should allow for that, I hope.”

Lady Snowflake nodded in agreement. “Indeed, but Father simply will not see reason! Do you truly think he will reconsider if My Arm returns from the man-jarrat fortress?”

Odd Mushroom nodded. “I have a plan, my dear--one that will be for the good of Weiss, and for you as well. I wish for him to allow you to marry My Arm!”

Lady Snowflake gasped. “Truly? I… My Arm is… It is strange, and I don’t fully understand it, but I know already that I want him by my side.”

“Indeed.” The elderly troll smiled. “You’ll rule us far better than Lord Mother could! And I could see the embers in the kindling when the two of you were together--there’s a connection there, and it was the happiest I’ve seen you in a very long time.”

“I…” Lady Snowflake bit her lip. “The choice should come from my heart, not from anyone else… But my heart is telling me the same! I will tell him I wish for him to stay with me at once when he returns, and Miss Jaina too… Still, Father--”

“--should respect My Arm when he comes back victorious,” Odd Mushroom assured her. “There should be no need for bloodshed, Weiss will have a bright future ahead, and you can be happy at last! Lord Mother cares for nothing but fighting--he’s holding Weiss back, and it’s time for things to change!”

Strawberry suddenly turned to look at him with a very serious expression. “Why not kill bad Mother troll?”

Lady Snowflake immediately shook her head, practically reeling from the shock of the question--especially coming from one so young. “Must it come to that? He is cruel, yes, but he is my blood!”

“Indeed, I deplore violence,” Odd Mushroom added. “Frustrating as Lord Mother is, let’s not have any unnecessary killing!”

Strawberry simply stared at Lady Snowflake for an awkward silent moment, then waddled over to her and reached for her hand. When she picked him up, he spoke softly.

“I had dad wike yours, once.” His eyes never left hers. “Before Jaina wescued me.”

“You did?” Lady Snowflake shivered at his words. “What happened?”

Strawberry was silent once more, fidgeting nervously in her arms before taking a deep breath and speaking up again. “Mommy died when I born,” he said, his voice shaking. “It my fault. My dad got mad at me--he got mad wots. He gabe me spankings an’ yelled dat I was bad all da time, an’ dat I weak an’ useless… He no even taked me out for naming meal!” He sniffled, tears welling up in his big black eyes. “He said I hafta get food self if I wanna name...”

Lady Snowflake remembered her own childhood all too well--the violent rages her father was prone to, the beatings she had taken for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the times he had forced her to fight and kill sometimes entire packs of wolves, how often he would compare her to her mother and call her weak and pathetic. At least, however, her father had waited until she was slightly older before he had turned his rage and cruelty on her in full. Strawberry had endured that at an even younger age… He must have seen his own father in hers...

“Den my dad took wots of ober twolls to destwoy human village,” Strawberry continued, tears and snot dripping down his face. “I had to go too, an’ I weally ungy, so I go away to wook for food in cave!” He had to pause to wipe his face in her fur, and she let him cry into her chest for a few minutes before he could continue.

“Fighting started cwose by, so I hided in wocks. It my dad an’ his big mean fwiend, and dey wanna kill all da humans who no could fight back. Den Jaina an’ her fwiend come into cave, and my dad twy to kill dem, but she kill him first! She gabe me strawberry an’ said I could come stay wiv her!”

“She killed your father?” Lady Snowflake gasped. The purple-haired human had seemed kind, not at all the sort who would kill trolls in cold blood. “She killed your father and took you from your people, and you still love her?”

Strawberry just nodded, unfazed. “Uh-huh!”

“You aren’t angry or upset at her at all?” Lady Snowflake asked. “Even though she killed your kin?”

“Uh-uh.” Strawberry shook his head. “She neber urt me or yell at me or anything mean! She takes me sploring pwaces an’ wets me do fun stuff an’ makes wots of good food! She teaching me how to wead, and I gonna wearn to wite an’ do magic when I bigger! I no miss my dad--he mean an’ no wub me an’ onwy urt me.”

He squeezed her arm, still meeting her gaze. “Woo be happy too wivout woo mean dad! Woo say he neber wisten, an’ he urt woo...”

“It is true,” Lady Snowflake had to admit. “Father is… horrible to me… Much of what you said your father did, I too endured throughout my childhood...”

“We no wet him urt woo anymore!” Strawberry declared, a steadfast gleam in his eyes. “Me an’ Jaina an’ Snowflake, we help woo so woo can marry farmer troll an’ be happy!”

Wolf Paw spoke up. “I think Strawberry right about this one,” he said. “I get it, he family, but sometimes you need to use force!”

“As fellow ice troll, you know sometimes we need to fight to survive,” Icicle added. “We got frozen by bad man not long ago when Snowflake accidentally found his diamond, and nice Jaina human rescued us! But she had to kill bad man to free us.”

Lady Snowflake found herself at a loss for words, unsure of how to feel. Part of her, despite all reason, did still care for her father, and hoped that Odd Mushroom’s plan to peacefully persuade him to accept My Arm as her husband would work. But what if they were right? What if Strawberry was right? Orphaned though he was, he was going to grow up healthy and happy, and was probably going to turn out a lot like My Arm when he grew up. She would have loved to experience a childhood like his… Had Miss Jaina not come along, he would likely have grown up being terribly mistreated, or possibly starved...

“Old Mushroom, what’s the Fire of Dumb-dumb thingy you said stuff about?” the younger Snowflake asked. “It special fire that shields bad Mother troll?”

Odd Mushroom bristled a bit. “It’s Odd, not Old… okay, I am indeed old! But yes, young Snowflake, it’s called the Fire of Domination! It shields him and greatly strengthens his combat capabilities. Fighting him while the Fire still burns would be quite foolhardy, as he wouldn’t get a scratch--yet another reason I am hoping to settle matters peacefully!”

Lady Snowflake noticed that the two children were shooting each other a knowing glance, and she had her suspicions as to exactly what they might be planning. She could at least get behind what they doubtless intended; it might well give her father a much-needed humbling. But could they manage to sneak past him and pull it off? She couldn’t allow either of them to come to any harm.

She hugged Strawberry protectively, hoping My Arm and Miss Jaina would return soon. When they did, she knew she must face her father with courage and refuse to back down whatever might happen. She would marry My Arm, never Don’t Know What, and this time he would listen.

~***~

The way through the tunnels proved to be fairly easy; Jaina would scout ahead as needed, Odd Stone smashed through the cave-ins as they encountered them to clear the way, and My Arm brought up the rear. Visibility wasn’t an issue thanks to the fire the two trolls had set up at the tunnel entrance--one of Odd Mushroom’s inventions it seemed--that illuminated the whole cave. My Arm had gathered up the wood of a long-dead fallen tree, and Odd Stone had sprinkled handfuls of colorful salts over the firepit before lighting it, producing flames with a gentle golden glow.

As Jaina bent to pick up a curious stone tablet on the floor of the tunnel, My Arm broke the silence. “Hey, purple Jaina human,” he said, “you ever have, uh… You know… Anybody special? Human dat make you feel all warm inside and you wanna stay with dem always?”

Jaina turned around to look at him, clutching the tablet. “Uh, yes, actually! I’m engaged and all...”

“You gonna get married?” My Arm looked down at his hands. “When you met your special human, your heart got all fluttery-buttery? You feel all tingly inside? Like you wanna jump right outta your skin?”

The adventurer shook her head. “Actually, Brand and I didn’t get along at all when we first met! Our marriage was arranged, you see, and at first we couldn’t stand each other. We found one another repulsive, even!”

“Like how Lady Snowflake feels ‘bout Don’t Know What?” Odd Stone asked, swinging his fists at a nearby rockfall.

When Jaina nodded, My Arm spoke up again, looking extremely nervous. “What changed?”

“I took the time to get to know him,” she said, proceeding through the passage Odd Stone had just opened up. “At first I just listened to him, endured his awful singing and poetry, did my best to find the good in it and learn what he liked and didn’t like. I’d bake him cakes, bring him books to read and vellum and ink to write with... Soon he trusted me as someone he could talk to without worry, he’d write terrible but charming songs just for me, and then he started asking me about myself and what I liked, and it kind of went from there. Before we knew it, we’d fallen in love, and were actually looking forward to being married!”

My Arm seemed to be pondering her words. “You think Don’t Know What could become nice like dat if Snowflake nice to him and give him presents?” His tone sounded as if he were asking about the possibility of being submerged in lava, or being made to visit Falador for an extended period.

“Nah,” Odd Stone said, shattering a boulder only for another cave-in to fall from the ceiling. “Don’t Know What not talk much ever! He only ever wanna fight an’ eat. If you gave him gift of food, he just eat it an’ never say tanks!”

My Arm relaxed slightly and took a moment to adjust his straw hat. “So My Arm should listen to Snowflake an’ bring her lots of nice gifts to show love? My Arm really likes listening to her talk, but My Arm don’t know what she likes yet...”

“I’m sure she’ll express that to you soon enough,” Jaina said, picking up a granite tablet on the ground as they continued on. “Just pay attention, ask, and listen to what she says!”

“Okieday,” My Arm said, shuffling behind them as they continued on. “My Arm really hopes to make her happy...”

The rest of the way was mostly silent except for Odd Stone shattering the boulders and cave-ins. Jaina found two more tablets along the way, one of slate and one of shale. The writings on them were brief, apparently written by a Mahjarrat named Lamistard, and described his efforts to carve the tunnels. The shale tablet mentioned “some sort of brick structure, possibly belonging to one of the others” he had run into while tunneling...

“Look!” Odd Stone called out, startling her momentarily. “Maybe dis room goes into the man-jarrat fortress?”

She looked up from the tablet, and there she saw that the tunnel opened up into some kind of cellar. Bookcases and barrels lined the walls, a stack of crates was nestled under the staircase in the corner, and a few books lay scattered on a wooden table.

“You know,” she said, stepping through the opening, “I’m pretty sure it is the fortress!”

As if on cue, three zombies in rusty iron armor came shambling down the staircase, each with a sword and shield in hand. Jaina reached for her staff, standing on the opposite side of the table as she prepared to start casting spells.

“Stand back!” she called out to the two trolls, and began concentrating, imagining spears of ice and willing them to take form. “Taste the biting chill of winter! Ice Burst!”

Icicles shot up from the floor on the stairs’ side of the cellar, completely coating the floor and spearing the zombies through in all directions. One was speared through the chest and left dangling off the large icicle that had slain it, one tripped and fell and was quickly turned into an icicle pincushion, and the third had its head sliced clean off its neck as the ice spear pierced it in the throat. Its head rolled under the table and past her feet, and came to rest next to one of the bookcases.

“Whoa,” Odd Stone breathed, staring at the icy mess. “Purple Jaina human really strong!”

“My Arm told you she strong, but she got even stronger since last time My Arm saw her fight!” My Arm stooped down to pick up the severed zombie head. “Dis the kind of thing Lord Mother wants? Should My Arm take it to show him?”

Odd Stone nodded. “It suitable trophy, yes! Stick it on top of spear and Lord Mother be even more impressed!” He picked up one of the crates. “Me take some spoils back to Weiss too! The man-jarrat don’t need all dis stuff.”

Jaina was already examining the bookcases in hopes of finding more about the fortress, and books that would be helpful for Ali’s research. Most of the books on the shelf seemed to be boring economic texts or necromantic tomes, but she found a smaller one titled “Notes on my fellow Mahjarrat volume 1,” which she tucked into her bag.

“I’m going upstairs to investigate further,” she said, heading for the stairs. “It shouldn’t take long! Wait here until I get back.”

She hurried up the stairs and into a grand hall adorned with colorful tapestries, most with a skull centered on a red and blue background, one in a side room depicting dancing green flames on a brown and tan backdrop. Past a wall lined with crates and wooden swords and shields on a weapon rack, a sickly yellow carpet adorned with skulls at each of the corners adorned the floor as if to serve as an unwelcome mat. On that carpet stood a familiar hulking undead knight, broad-shouldered and bare-chested with massive greatsword in hand, a cavity in his gorget where his heart had once been emitting a sickly green glow.

“You should not have come here,” he said grimly. “I’ve no wish to harm you!”

“Wait, Arrav, it’s me, Jaina!” the adventurer exclaimed. “Are you able to talk at the moment?”

“I--Aaaaargh!” Arrav hoisted his sword onto his shoulder and readied an attack. “I really do not wish to do this, but my master compels me!”

“So this must be Zemouregal’s home...” Jaina leapt backwards, staff at the ready, and began concentrating again. “Become solid and unmoving! Ice Blitz!”

The spell managed to bind Arrav’s legs to the spot, and she had narrowly evaded the strike of his sword. It didn’t hold him for long, however; he had kicked himself free in a few short ten seconds. That had been enough time to allow her to run further away, at least.

For the next few minutes their battle continued like that, Jaina casting ice spells to bind Arrav where he stood, and Arrav freeing himself and slowly lumbering towards her once more. She was able to keep far enough away from him that he could never actually swing at her, but she knew she couldn’t stop moving, and she didn’t have the heart to try to land a more crippling blow on him.

“I am terribly sorry,” he lamented after breaking free of the ice for--what was it? She had lost count of how many times-- “but it is not I who controls my actions.”

“I know, and I want to help you,” she replied, pausing to cast another Ice Blitz. “Please, you have to fight it! You have to fight against Zemouregal’s control! I can’t stall you forever!”

“I...” Arrav grunted as he was bound in ice up to his waist. “If you… arrrrgh… if you look behind the… Aaaargh! Behind the flame tapestry...” He was already managing to crack the ice as he struggled to kick himself free. “You might be able to find something that can… arrrrgh… help both of us...”

“Truly?” she asked. “Right, I’ll look there as soon as I can!”

He shattered the ice again, and the cycle of her freezing him and running away resumed once more. She had to keep it up for a few more times around, and then at last Arrav, panting from having broken her ice, stopped where he stood instead of advancing.

“My master calls! At last I can cease this battle!” He lowered his sword. “Good luck, Jaina...”

With that he was teleported out of the chamber, and Jaina caught her breath before making for the green flame tapestry. Tucked in an alcove behind it were a key and a rolled scroll, which she took. A quick look at the scroll revealed sketches of some kind of building plans, which she was pretty sure were for Zemouregal’s underground base in the Wilderness. There had been more to the place, she remembered now, that she couldn’t get into the first time she had been there.

Carefully tucking both key and plans into her bag, she hurried back down the staircase and into the cellar. She had much to show Ali the Wise when she returned to him, but first she had to get back to Weiss with the trolls and hope that My Arm would be able to appease Lord Mother.

~***~

When the adventurer and her troll companions returned to Weiss, they were let in through the front gate this time, and the ice troll at the gate introduced himself as Boulder and told them Lady Snowflake was waiting for them in the big chief hut. Odd Stone picked up a fallen spear from the village fence and helped My Arm put the zombie head atop it, and then led the way to the hut in question.

The moment they were inside the hut, a blur of white and maroon fur sailed past Jaina’s eyes just before Strawberry ran up to her and hugged her leg. When she picked him up to hug him in return, she saw that Lady Snowflake had tackled a very surprised My Arm into a crushing bear hug.

“You came back!” the ice troll princess exclaimed. “Oh, My Arm, you came back safe and sound! I was so worried...”

My Arm was blushing deeply. “Uh… Yup, and My Arm got a zombie head to show your dad! My Arm, uh, got you a present too...”

When Lady Snowflake had loosened her hug, he produced a small bouquet of freshly picked Trollweiss flowers. “My Arm saw dese, uh, growin’ on the mountain an’, uh, thought you’d like dem!”

Lady Snowflake’s eyes positively lit up as she accepted the bouquet. “Oh, My Arm! They are so beautiful! How wonderful it would be if we could get them to bloom here in Weiss!”

“Not as beautiful as you,” My Arm said hastily, and blushed deeper once the words had come out of his mouth. “Uh, I mean, My Arm can try to figure out how to grow dem here!”

Lady Snowflake giggled and smiled at him, but her smile faded into worry as she looked at Jaina. “Please, all of you must come into the caves below before we go to meet with Father! I have important things to tell you--especially you, My Arm.”

She gestured to a ladder in the corner of the hut, and Jaina followed her down it. As she climbed down, Strawberry leaned up to whisper something in her ear.

“We have idea for big bad Mother troll, me an’ Snowflake,” he whispered. “Dat big fire next to his throne makes him super strong so nobody can urt him! We gonna sneak behind throne an’ put it out!”

“Be careful, Strawberry! But I’ll make sure he doesn’t catch you,” Jaina whispered back, stepping into an icy cavern filled with colorful salt deposits. This must be where the colored salts for Odd Mushroom’s fires came from, she realized--and the elderly troll in question was indeed standing there, along with Snowflake the child and his parents.

Once My Arm and Odd Stone had descended into the cave, the former carrying the zombie head on the spear, Lady Snowflake immediately spoke up. “My Arm, I…” She hesitated a moment. “I apologize if this sounds sudden or shocking, but… My Arm, I beg you, please, stay by my side always! I wish for us to be married!”

My Arm blinked, frozen where he stood. “You would… You would really wanna marry me? Uh... My Arm didn’t expect you felt dat way...”

“Of course I do!” Lady Snowflake said. “I’ve never met a man-troll as special as you, one who’s funny, smart, and knows many interesting things! All that time you were at the man-jarrat fortress, I thought about you, about our life together, about maybe going to see the magnificent farm together, about having a family together… I knew I couldn’t bear it if you didn’t come back! Together we can lead Weiss into a new and prosperous future!”

My Arm hesitated a moment, seeming to let her words sink in. Then a big awkward grin spread across his face. “My Arm is the happiest troll in the world right now! Snowflake is very special and amazing troll, and My Arm was super worried you weren’t gonna be interested… Uh, what My Arm means is that My Arm also would like to stay in Weiss and marry Snowflake! Drunken Dwarf’s Leg and Milkshake can handle the farming stuff back at the Stronghold just fine.”

Lady Snowflake pulled him into a bear hug once again, and Odd Mushroom nodded approvingly. “And now that you have that zombie head, Lord Mother will have to grant the two of you his blessing! He will respect My Arm as a proven warrior now. It is most fortuitous that you did not encounter the man-jarrat!”

“We coming too,” Icicle insisted. “If Lord Mother not listen, we help protect My Arm and Lady Snowflake if he get mad!”

“He must listen,” Lady Snowflake said, her voice filled with resolve. “I’ll not back down! It’s time I proved myself worthy to lead Weiss and stand up for myself!”

“Can’t hurt to have backup though,” Wolf Paw pointed out. “Lady Snowflake good friend, just like nice Jaina human good friend! We stand up for friends always!”

Strawberry and the younger Snowflake both nodded as well, and Jaina nodded her agreement in turn. “I’ll come too--Lord Mother likely wants a report on the fortress anyway, and I saw more of it than My Arm or Odd Stone did. Besides, the moment you stand up to him isn’t one I want to miss!”

“Very well then,” Odd Mushroom said, gesturing to the ladder with his walking stick. “Let us go and present the trophy to Lord Mother!”

~***~

“Well?” Lord Mother demanded. “Did arm troll get into the man-jarrat fortress?”

“Yup!” My Arm declared, stepping towards the throne with the zombie head on the spear in hand. “Look, Lord Mother! My Arm did it! My Arm done killed a zombie in the man-jarrat fortress just like Lord Mother said!”

“Indeed, he is a most brave and true warrior,” Odd Mushroom said. “We should welcome him into the tribe!”

“Yeah, My Arm would really like to stay in Weiss,” My Arm said, grinning nervously. “My Arm would also like to marry your daughter...”

“Bring it here then!” barked Lord Mother. “Show Mother the trophy!”

My Arm shuffled toward the throne and handed the spear with the zombie head on it over to Lord Mother. The ice troll chieftain examined the zombie head closely, removing its helmet to check it more thoroughly, squinting as he did. “Hm… Look dead, feel dead, smell dead… Fresh blood from neck proves it a good kill… No brains or gut juice, but it just the head, and no brains come out of neck...”

As he studied the zombie head, Jaina noticed Snowflake standing beside the fire to the right of the throne, while Strawberry was hiding behind the water barrel. Both Lord Mother and Don’t Know What were distracted by the zombie head at the moment, but she must be prepared to cause a diversion if necessary.

Lord Mother put the zombie head back on the spear tip and planted the spear beside his throne. “Mother is surprised, but arm troll has done as Mother asked!” He grinned a fierce toothy grin at My Arm. “Mother will welcome arm troll into tribe as proven warrior--trolls will be killing many more zombies in the fortress soon! But Mother must think about whether arm troll is worthy to marry Snowflake.”

“Father,” Lady Snowflake spoke up, “he has already proven himself more than worthy! He was brave enough to go into the man-jarrat fortress to accomplish your task! What has Don’t Know What done? Eat an undead pig and become violently ill? Is that what you call strength and leadership, Father?”

“Arm troll may have impressed Mother, but it takes special kind of strength to lead tribe!” boomed Lord Mother. “Snowflake forget that it Mother’s strength that saved trolls? That without Mother’s strength, Weiss not exist at all? Mother cannot be sure that arm troll truly has what it takes, especially with the man-jarrat ritual coming!”

“Oooh, my head… What is this place?”

Silence fell over the area, and Lord Mother paused, looking around. “Who said that?”

“Ugh, this place stinks!” When she looked around for the voice, Jaina noticed that the zombie head’s eyes had somehow come open, and she saw it open its mouth to speak. “Worse than Lord Zemouregal’s stale socks...”

The other trolls looked surprised as Lord Mother’s gaze fell upon the zombie head, and as he stared at it, it blinked. “Don’t suppose you big ugly trolls have any Braindeath ‘rum?’” it asked. “Lord Zemouregal keeps us well satiated with it, so we never have to think about brains for a moment! And I’m really thirsty!”

Lord Mother whipped around to glare at My Arm and leapt up from his throne. “IT NOT DEAD ENOUGH!” he roared, stomping his feet furiously.

My Arm visibly shrank back. “It still dead though? It not do dat before...”

“Guess that means no ‘rum?’” the zombie head asked. “It’s as they say; never trust a troll!”

“HOW USELESS AND WEAK STRONGHOLD TROLLS BECOME?” Lord Mother shouted. “Mother fought hard and became strong to save tribe, and you can’t even kill stuff right? Mother was foolish to have any hopes for you!”

He turned his gaze to Jaina before she could react. “Human! You tell Mother how to get into man-jarrat fortress! Now!”

Jaina nodded and quickly proceeded to explain the way through Lamistard’s tunnels and what little she’d seen of the fortress. She had to keep his attention for as long as possible and hopefully calm him down for the moment, stall enough to allow for the fire to be put out before he inevitably attacked My Arm.

“And I know now who lives in the fortress,” she said, noticing that Strawberry was discreetly pushing snow underneath his side of the water barrel. “It belongs to Zemouregal, the lord of undead armies, the Mahjarrat who tried to conquer my homeland and enthralled the hero Arrav in undeath! He relies on seemingly endless hordes of zombies to do his bidding.”

Lord Mother calmed down somewhat and nodded, clearly intrigued. “This man-jarrat may be strong, but he also big fat coward if he not fight one on one!” He pumped a fist into the air. “If trolls of Weiss can carve path through zombies, Mother will charge the man-jarrat! He never see it coming!”

Odd Mushroom and Odd Stone shot each other a look, the former shaking his head in disbelief. Strawberry just kept pushing snow and stones underneath the water barrel, and Jaina kept her eye on Lord Mother to make sure he wouldn’t look behind him.

“All those zombies good for trolls of Weiss to fight and get stronger,” Lord Mother continued. “Yes, that how we prepare for the man-jarrat ritual! Many zombie heads will become trophies to decorate Weiss with! And they gonna be proper dead, not still talking dead!”

“I am properly dead,” the zombie head insisted. “Why, I’ve never been so insulted in all my unlife!”

“Stop it, Father!” Lady Snowflake shouted. “This madness will get us all killed! We can’t just provoke a man-jarrat like that!”

“Surviving after the dwarves drove us out here was different,” Odd Mushroom pointed out. “The strength of a man-jarrat is far beyond what even the Fire of Domination can match! To fight one would spell our doom! Can we not sit down and make a practical plan like sensible civilized folk?”

“You shut up, Odd Mushroom!” Lord Mother snapped. “Always talking about civilizing, progress, being careful--what kind of troll are you? You messed up Mother’s daughter! She uses long words, reads, talks about bright futures… She needs to marry proper troll like Don’t Know What, and remember how trolls are!”

“No, Father,” retorted Lady Snowflake. “You cannot tell me how to think, how to live, or how to love! A proper leader must stand firm in the face of fear and fight for what she believes, and I will be with My Arm and fight for what I believe!”

“Enough! I am your father, and you obey me! Mother not know how, but arm troll has messed you up even worse! Snowflake hopeless!” Lord Mother shook his head and turned to Don’t Know What. “Take him to the dungeon! Mother will sort Snowflake out permanently!”

Odd Stone gasped and stared in disbelief. “Lord Mother cannot mean to kill Lady Snowflake, surely?”

“You want to do it yourself?” Lord Mother demanded, glaring as Odd Stone shook his head. “Go ahead! Do it then!”

“Noooooo!” The younger Snowflake started sobbing loudly, tears streaming down his face. “You can’t kill her!”

Icicle and Wolf Paw both stood protectively in front of Lady Snowflake and My Arm. “You not touch My Arm or Lady Snowflake!” Icicle cried out. “You hafta go through us first!”

Before any of the trolls could make a further move, Jaina spoke up. “Wait, Lord Mother. You said your strength saved Weiss?”

Lord Mother looked to her again. “Yes, when dwarves drove us from their caves long ago! Crossing mountains very difficult, and there little food to come by. But Mother kept trolls alive for long time, taught them how to hunt, helped oversee building of Weiss! Everything, everyone here, all owes everything to Mother’s strength and hard work!”

“You must have been very brave and determined,” Jaina said, noticing that Snowflake’s tears were starting to create a layer of ice that was spreading onto the fire, and it was starting to shrink. “So why don’t we test that strength? Then all the trolls can be sure you still have what it takes!”

“You want a test of Mother’s strength?” the massive brutish troll repeated, scratching his beard. “Mother is interested in that idea… Mother never expected human would be more sensible than Mother’s own daughter…”

Jaina nodded, shooting Strawberry a discreet look. “Lord Mother, chief of Weiss, I, Jaina Katarn, challenge you to a duel!” she proclaimed, reaching for her staff. “I will face you in one-on-one combat, and the outcome of the fight will determine who gets to lead Weiss. If you win, then Lady Snowflake will marry Don’t Know What, My Arm will return to Trollheim, and you’ll be in charge of how the trolls of Weiss will handle the Mahjarrat ritual. If I win, then Lady Snowflake will marry My Arm, farming patches and animals will be introduced to Weiss, and Lady Snowflake will become leader of Weiss and have to coordinate a plan for the Ritual! How does that sound?”

A disturbing smile slowly crept across Lord Mother’s face, his huge canines glinting in the sunlight. “Mother likes how human thinks!” He smirked broadly. “We fight, then! I look forward to turning you into purple paste!”

“Or is it you who will be paste?” Jaina asked, steeling herself as she gripped her staff. “I’ve faced Mahjarrat in combat before and survived, you know.”

“Hah! All the more reason Mother will enjoy fighting you!” Lord Mother boomed. “If Mother can kill you, Mother can beat a man-jarrat!”

That was the moment Strawberry gave the water barrel a big shove with all his might--and managed to topple it over. The water spilled out onto the Fire of Domination, washing it away instantly and freezing over thanks to Snowflake’s tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why a cliffhanger right before a boss fight? Because two boss fights in one chapter is a bit much to handle.
> 
> Was anyone expecting Strawberry's past to come up? I can't imagine that Morningstar was a good father, given that he brought his son to a battlefield where he could've potentially been killed by the Burthorpe Imperial Guard or someone else. He probably would've gotten along with Lord Mother, just as Strawberry connected with Lady Snowflake...
> 
> My Arm and Lady Snowflake's romance is rather rushed in the quest, so I aimed to flesh it out as much as possible! Even if it's a whirlwind romance, writing feelsy interactions between them was fun and satisfying. And as a bonus I worked in some insight into Jaina and Brand's relationship; I wonder if that will be important soon?
> 
> At last here's the scene with Arrav! Revisiting the old storylines that involved him really brings me back, that's for sure...
> 
> I kept some of the original lines from the exchange with Lord Mother in some form, but that scene had to drastically change as a whole thanks to the incorporation of The Curse of Arrav and there now being no need for Dionysius to appear in the story. Hey, snarky zombie heads aren't just for pirate quests! Hopefully the scene had the right mix of funny and tense.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!


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